News on Junior Men ’s World Champs and Japanese Pioneers
Second World Championships for Junior Men
Canada’s junior men’s team added another world title to the Canadian Wheelchair Basketball Association’s lengthening list of achievements this past August in Blumenau, Santa Catarina, Brazil. Led by a trio of collegiate wheelchair basketball players, Patrick Anderson, Adam Lancia and Travis Gaertner, Canada showed its mettle by overcoming a pool-play loss to Brazil (62 - 54). Canada then went on to defeat Mexico (71 - 58) in the quarter-finals, USA (53 - 46) in the semifinals and ultimately upset Brazil (58 - 55) in front of an uproarious, standingroom only crowd.
Brazil, led by the brilliant troika consisting of Marcos Silva, Expedito Filha and Irio Nunes, advanced to the championship game by defeating Great Britain 81 – 48 in their semifinal match. USA beat Great Britain 66 – 33 to capture third place. Germany conquered Mexico 51 - 35 to take fifth place.
The Third World Championships for Junior Men is scheduled for 2005. IWBF is currently accepting bids from its members for this exceptional event.
Japanese Pioneers Receive Gold Medal Triad
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| Katsuyuki Hamamoto |
The International Wheelchair Basketball Federation (IWBF) bestowed its highest honor, the Gold Medal Triad, to Japan’s most distinguished advocates of wheelchair basketball: Katsuyuki Hamamoto and Eiji Yoshinaga. The Triad is awarded to individuals who have contributed in an outstanding manner to the growth of wheelchair basketball, both on the national and/or international level.
The words “Hamamoto himself is the history of wheelchair basketball in Japan” repeatedly echo through the wheelchair basketball community in Japan and define Hamamoto’s immeasurable contribution to our sport. In 1963, Hamamoto began playing wheelchair basketball, the following year he competed in basketball and athletics at the Tokyo Paralympics. He then began forming teams and introducing wheelchair basketball to the public throughout Japan. By 1975, he established the Japanese Wheelchair Basketball Federation (JWBF) and became its President, a position he continues to hold. By 1983, he had proved instrumental in the introduction of twin basketball in Japan, a sport played by tetraplegics. He played an instrumental role in the formation of the IWBF’s Asia/Oceania Zone and has served capably as its President since its inception in 1995.
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| Eiji Yoshinaga |
Yoshinaga could be proposed as the ultimate role model for all athletes with disabilities. He has demonstrated a highly
influential presence in wheelchair basketball and in society as well. He says: “Wheelchair basketball gave me confidence in my own ability, first physically and then mentally.” From the time he first joined Japan Sun Industries as a trainee and its wheelchair basketball club as a player in 1968, his influence on the industry and the game proved enormous, so much so that he ultimately became Secretary General of both Sun Industries as well as the IWBF’s Asia/Oceania Zone. In 1984, he started to organize developmental activities in Korea and more recently in Thailand and China. Having resigned as Secretary General of the Asia/Oceania Zone 1999, he continues to serve as an advisor to wheelchair basketball in the zone and now directs the Executive Committee organizing the 2002 IWBF Gold Cup.
Robert J. Szyman, Secretary General
International Wheelchair Basketball Federation
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